Artificial limb.



W. E. 'sH'0WALTBR- IIRIIFIGIAL LIMB.v

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28. 1910.

Patented Dec.6, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

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W. E. VSHOWALTBRl ARTIFICIAL LIMB. APPLICATION FILED APB. 28, 1910.

Patented Dec. 6, i910.

3 8HEETB-SHEET 2.

W. E. SHOWALTER. ARTIIIGIAL LIMB.

v APPLIOATION FILED APR. 28. 1910. l Patented Dec. 6

UH: NaRRls PETERS co., wAs/mvnwrl D c WILLIAM E. SHOWALTER, 0FHARRISONBUBG, VIRGINIA.

ARTIFICIAL LIME.

einem.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, IQIIB.

Application filed April 28, 1910. Serial No. 558,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. SHO- WALTER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resid* ing at Harrisonburg, in the county of Rockingham, Stateof Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artilicial Limbs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to artificial limbs.

One object of the invention is to improve the general construction ofdevices of this character.

A second object of the invention is to provide a novel form of hingebetween the upper and lower limb sections of a device of this character,the hinge being so constructed that the tendency to twist and loosenfrom the sections is eliminated.

A third object of the invention is to provide a hinge of this characterconstructed in an improved manner from flat metallic blanks.

A fourth object of the invention is to provide an improved form of anklejoint in which provision will be made to take up the wear in a novelmanner.

A fifth object of the invention is to provide an improved means ofsuspending` the stump pocket.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists ingeneral of an articial limb comprising upper and lower sectionsconnected in a novel manner and an improved form of ankle jointand stumppocket suspension for use in such a limb.

The invention further consists in certain novel details of constructionand combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and specifically set forth in the claims.

lIn the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicatelike parts in the several views, and z-Figure 1 is a side elevation of alimb constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of such a limb. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the joint between the upperand lower limb sections disassembled. Fig. 5 is a view of the blank fromwhich one of the hinge members is constructed. Fig. 6 is an edge view ofthe blank when bent to form the hinge. Fig. 7 1s` a view of the anklejoint disassembled. Fig. 8 is a section through the ankle joint wit-hthe parts assembled.

The numeral 10 indicates the thigh or upper limb section of the deviceand this section is made in the usual manner of leather and is providedwith spaced lacing clips 11 to receive a single lacing 12, the lacinghaw ing one end lixedly secured and the section being provided with abuckle 13 to adjustably secure the other en d of the lacing. By means ofthis single lacing a person is enabled to lace the section into positionon the limb with one hand.

The lower limb section is indicated at 111 and this section ispreferably constructed of aluminum and covered with leather. Se cured toeach side of the upper limb section is a hinge member having a U-shapedbody portion l5, the legs of which are attached to the member 10 bysuitable rivets 16 while the bight of this member is outwardly bowed asat 17 and provided with a stem portion 18 having a pintle receivingopening 19 and a shouldered portion 20. Secured to the lower section letis a hinge member constructed of a fiat plate of metal stamped toprovide spaced legs 21. The plate is furthermore slit as indicated at 22to provide a tongue 23 which is bent in such manner that the portionadjacent the bend line lies against the body of the plate as shown at 2ain Fig. 6 and then springs outwardly in spaced relation to said body asindicated at 25 in 6. The body is provided with a narrow upwardlyextending portion 26 and in the body and tongue 23 are formed opposedpintle receiving openings 27 and stop openings 2o. The stop 29 extendsthrough thestopopenings 28 and a pintle bolt 30 passes through theopenings 27 and the opening 19 in the respective upper hinge member.When the upper and lower hinge members are connected and the upper andlower sections 10 and 14 are fully extended so that they are inalinement the shoulders 2O of the upper hinge members engage againstthestops 29 of the lower hinge members and limitthe forward movement of thelower section 1li. When in this engagement the upper and lower sections10 and 14 will be in axial alinement.

In the member 14 is a stump pocket 31 to the sides of which are attachedstraps 32.

Between the legs o'l the upper hinge mouinum and from these springplates depend coil springs 34 to the lower ends of each set ot' which issecured a spring plate 35. io each of the spring plates 35 is secured astrap 36 and the straps 3G are connected to the straps 32 by adjustingbuckles 37 so that the position of the stump pocket may be adjusted withreference to its height. Tt is to be observed that the straps 3Q and allof the suspending means lie between the legs 15 oit the respective hingemember and that said straps 32 pass through the spaces between thebights of these members and the body of the upper section 10. By meansot` this construction the stump pocket is suspended so that it will bein axial alineinent with the upper section, and consequently with thelower section, when the limb is fully extended. There will Vthus be notendency for the stump to swing to one side or the other of the lowersection and chaiing will be eliminated. Furthermore, when the limb isflexed the straps 32, by reason of their position beneath the bights otthe upper hinge members, will be prevented from too great lateraldisplacement.

The toot for this limb is indicated at 38 and is composed of an anklesection 39, instep section 40 and toe section 41. These sections areprovided with hinges 42 at the arch and ball of the i'oot and thesections are held in extended position by means of coil springs 43 whichare received in sockets 44 formed in the several sections. Secured tothe lower or ankle end of the section 14 are hinge plates eachcomprising a Ushaped body 45, the legs ot' the body being fastened tothe section 14 by suitable screws or rivets 46 while the bight of eachplate is provided with an apertured ear 47. This ear is located belowthe lower end ot the section 14 and extending trom one ear to the otheris a pintle pin 4S which is surrounded by a split sleeve 49, the edgesot the split beingnormally spaced apart to leave a slot 50.

At 51 is a plate which is oitset as at 52 to provide a groove on itsunder side, said groove embracing` the sleeve 49. The sleeve 49 rests onltop oit the ankle section 39 and the groove in the plate 51 is of suchdepth that when the plate is positioned over the sleeve spaces will beleft between the top of the section 39 and the under side of said plate.This plate is secured to the section 39 by screws 53 and it will beobvious that as the pintle 48 wears the plate 51 may be screwed downcloser to the section 39 so that the sleeve 49 will be compressed andcaused to lit closely on the pintle.

Tt is further to be noted that all ot the hinge members are providedwith spaced legs so that a very firm connect-ion may be made with therespective sections to which they are attached and by this means thewear and loosening of the attaching means is entirely eliminated. u

In order to provide for holding the slot 50 in such position that thesleeve 49 may be compressed in the manner above described the plate 51and sleeve 49 are provided with registering` apertures through whichextend pins 54 which serve to prevent rotation of said sleeve. end ofthe section 14 and the plate l is preferably iilled with a rubbercushion and suitable rubber bumpers 56 areprovided in the toot oints.

rihere has thus been provided a simple and eiiicient device of the kinddescribed and 'for the purpose specilied.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

l. in an artificial limb, an 'Lipper section, a lower section, a hingemember fixed to each side oi the lower section, coacting hinge memberstixed to opposite sides of said upper section, each ot' said coactinghinge members comprising a U-shaped portion having its legs secured tothe upper section and its bight bowed away from the upper section, saidcoacting hinge members being each providedwith a tongue engaging therespective hinge member on the lower seetion, a stump pocket movable insaid lower section, springs attached to said upper section between thearms of the respective upper hinge members, and straps running betweenthe bights o1 said upper hinge meinbers and the upper section, saidstraps having their upper ends connected to the springs and their lowerends attached to said stump pocket. f

2. In an artiifieial limb, an upper section, a lower section, a hingemember fixed to each side of t-he lower section, coacting hinge membersfixed to opposite sides of saidV upper section, each of said coact-inghinge members comprising a U-shaped portion having its legs secured tothe upper section and its bight bowed away :trom kthe upper section,said coacting hinge members being. each provided with a tongue engagingthe respective hinge member on the lower section, a stump pocket movablein said lower section, springs attached to said upper see-V tion betweenthe arms of the respective upA` per hinge members, and straps runningbetween the bights of said upper hinge members and the upper section,said straps hav ing their upper ends connected to the springs and theirlower ends attached to said stump pocket, each ot the hinge membersattached to the lower section comprising a plate of metal provided withspaced ears to receive the tongue of a respective upper memberV andspaced legs extending downward from said ears and attached to the lowersection.

3. In an artiiieial limb, an ankle section,

The space between the lower a foot, a pair of hinge plates lined toopposite sides of said ankle section and projecting below the lower endof said section, a pintle extending between said hinge plates beneaththe lower end of said section, a longitudinally split sleeve surroundingsaid pintle with its split edges spaced apart, a plate having a grooveextending transversely across its under side and engaging over saidsleeve, and screws extending through said plate into the top or" thetootV section.

t. ln a device of the kind described, a' hinge joint plate consistingoi' a iiat strip of metal slotted to provide a pair of spaced attachingmembers, said metal being slit to provide a tongue between said members,said tongue being bent to have its end in spaced relation to the body ofthe strip and the strip and tongue being perforated to provide a pair ofspaced ears.

5. A hinge tor artificial limbs comprising a plate consisting of a flatstrip of metal slotted to provide a pair of spaced attaching members,said metal being slit to provide a tongue between said members, thetongue being bent from between said members to have its end in spacedrelation to the extremity of the strip, a stop pin extending betweensaid extremity and tongue, and a pintle eX- tending between saidextremity and tongue in spaced relation to said stop pin; in combinationwith a second plate of metal stamped substantially to U-shape, the bightof the U being provided with a tongue adapted to be received between thetongue and extremity of the iirst mentioned plate, said tongue beingapertured to receive said pintle, and a shoulder formed on said tongueto engage said stop pin. to limit the movew ment or' the plates on saidpintle in one direction.

ln testimony whereof, I aiiiX my signature, in presence of twoWitnesses.

VVILLAM E. SHOVALTER. Witnesses O. R. HoLLnn, En. C. Maerz.

